Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for January 14, 2021

Cox Automotive acquires computer vision company Fyusion

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Cox Automotive has acquired Fyusion, a computer vision company and provider of immersive vehicle imaging solutions for automotive and other industries.

This acquisition will deepen the collaboration between Manheim – a Cox subsidiary – and Fyusion, which have worked together for years to give clients the wholesale industry’s best mobile imaging and condition capture tools in the Manheim Express app.

Steve Rowley, president, Cox Automotive, says: “Anywhere a car can be imaged, we believe the new technologies that Cox Automotive and Fyusion create together will translate to big benefits for our clients across the auto industry. [Read more…] about Cox Automotive acquires computer vision company Fyusion

Silicon Valley Robotics awards two honors to SICK

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The Silicon Valley Robotics group awarded SICK two honors as a part of the SVR’s inaugural Good Robot Industry Awards.

This program celebrates robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence that helps to solve global challenges.

SVR is a non-profit industry cluster and coalition of robotics companies and startups, representing the robotics cluster in northern California. The organization works to support the innovation and commercialization of robotics technology. [Read more…] about Silicon Valley Robotics awards two honors to SICK

Cheetah Mobile launches ‘smart vending robot’

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Cheetah Mobile has launched its intelligent vending robot, FanBot, to international markets.

In contrast to traditional vending machines, the FanBot can autonomously identify and approach potential customers in complex and high-traffic environments, such as shopping malls, retail stores, gyms, cinemas, libraries, hotel lobbies and airport terminals.

Through this targeted and proactive customer engagement, FanBot is proven to achieve sales volume four times that of a traditional vending machine, selling one beverage every 110 seconds. [Read more…] about Cheetah Mobile launches ‘smart vending robot’

Argonaut Manufacturing Services turns to Bright Machines to accelerate and scale production

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Bright Machines and Argonaut Manufacturing Services have agreed a partnership whereby Bright Machines will automate Argonaut’s unique assembly process.

Argonaut, based in Carlsbad, California, is a contract manufacturing organization offering a host of customized manufacturing and supply chain solutions for life science, molecular diagnostics, and biopharmaceutical companies, including formulation, filling, lyophilization, and kitting, as well as automated aseptic fill-finish equipment for sterile injectable drugs.

Argonaut enables organizations to quickly scale pharmaceutical and life science operations by providing expert support and state-of-the-art manufacturing solutions, minimizing costs and risks. [Read more…] about Argonaut Manufacturing Services turns to Bright Machines to accelerate and scale production

Hyundai’s acquisition of Boston Dynamics can reinforce its position in smart mobility, says GlobalData

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Hyundai Motor Group has agreed to acquire approximately 80 percent stake in American engineering and robotics design company Boston Dynamics from SoftBank Group for $1.1bn.

The move can fuel Hyundai’s long-term goal to become a smart mobility solutions provider by leveraging Boston Dynamics’ robots such as bipedal and quadruped equipped with 3D vision, navigation and advanced intelligence, says data and analytics company GlobalData.

Venkata Naveen, senior disruptive tech analyst at GlobalData, says: “Hyundai’s move to acquire major stake in Boston Dynamics polarizes with many automakers competing to add their name to the me-too stack of autonomous carmakers by purchasing self-driving tech startups. [Read more…] about Hyundai’s acquisition of Boston Dynamics can reinforce its position in smart mobility, says GlobalData

Motional and Lyft to launch fully driverless rideshare service

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Motional, a driverless technology developer, and rideshare service provider Lyft have agreed joint plans to launch a multimarket robotaxi service in major US cities, beginning in 2023.

Motional says its next generation, fully driverless vehicles will be integrated, operationalized, and implemented on the Lyft network.

The two companies claim this agreement marks the largest robotaxi partnership for a major ridesharing network. It follows an ongoing and successful three-year partnership, in which Motional and Lyft operate the world’s longest-standing commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas. [Read more…] about Motional and Lyft to launch fully driverless rideshare service

Software-based PLCs pose challenge to traditional hardware infrastructure

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By Sharmila Annaswamy, IoT Analytics

Software is increasingly replacing hardware in industrial environments. Software-based programmable logic controllers (Soft PLCs) today are reliable, powerful and flexible.

Soft PLC adoption is expected to double between 2019 and 2025, posing an “innovator’s dilemma” for incumbent industrial automation vendors.

Actions taken by incumbents will prevent significant disruption in the near-term, but the long-term threat of soft PLCs will remain. [Read more…] about Software-based PLCs pose challenge to traditional hardware infrastructure

Siemens provides electric charging points for bus depot in Hamburg

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Siemens Smart Infrastructure won a major contract from Hamburger Hochbahn, the largest local transport provider in the Hanseatic city.

Siemens will equip two of the six carports at the Alsterdorf bus depot with a total of 96 charging points as well as medium and low-voltage technology. Operations are scheduled to start in summer 2021.

With a total of 240 parking spaces, it is one of the largest and most modern bus depots for electric buses in Europe. [Read more…] about Siemens provides electric charging points for bus depot in Hamburg

How Automation Increases the Effectiveness of an Organization

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In today’s tech-driven world, more and more companies are resorting to automation and taking help from relevant software programs to increase effectiveness and boost performance.

While some still consider it a threat, automation can enhance your company’s progress if used in the right way. Software robots and machine learning are also a part of automation that reduces human labour and increases productivity.

Companies use automation tools to increase efficiency as most takes are operated by robots, software tools, and artificial intelligence. With time, machines have learned to use logic and streamline processes applied in a professional work front. [Read more…] about How Automation Increases the Effectiveness of an Organization

What Barriers Still Impede Electric Vehicles?

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Electric vehicles have been with us for a long time.

It’s only recently that they’re being touted as a serious replacement for the internal combustion engine and a (partial) answer to our climate crisis.

The UK government says that it’ll ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 – and you can reasonably expect any Labour government to be at least as ambitious, given their slightly greener voter-base.

By then, electric cars will need to be fairly ubiquitous. So what’s stopping this from happening right now? [Read more…] about What Barriers Still Impede Electric Vehicles?